Archives for December 2015

To mark the sad passing of Iain M. Banks, a giant of modern Science Fiction, this inaugural list of best reads of the year (not necessarily published in the year) will comprise 9 great Fantasy and Science Fiction novels rather than the more traditional top 10. Why 9? Well, 9 is integral to Marain in the Culture novels.

9. Goblin Moon by Teresa Edgerton

8. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

7. Warheart by Terry Goodkind

6. Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny

5. Shattered by Kevin Hearne

4. Knight’s Shadow by Sebastien de Castell

3. Lexicon by Max Barry

2. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

1. The Martian by Andy Weir. A great SF novel, packed with dry humour and hard science. It’s difficult to write a novel that mostly features a single character in a single location, but Weir does it well and crafts a great story in the process.

However you approach becoming a writer (whether you write first, learn the techniques later, or study before taking up the pen, or a combination of both) there’s always room for improvement. There is a great deal to be learned from courses, residencies, books, and even the internet, but one near-guaranteed method to improving as a writer is, simply, to write.

Write regularly – or as regularly as you can – and write often. It doesn’t matter whether you allocate a set portion of time to write or set yourself a goal (e.g. 750 words per session) but writing regularly will help you develop as a writer. Once you’ve learned the “basics”, putting that into practice is a great way to learn. You’ll encounter plot and technical problems along the way, and solving those problems will help you grow as a writer. I’ve found that if you have an extended break from writing, those first few sessions back at the keyboard are usually tricky – the result of being out of practice. So, write, write, write and give yourself the best chance to become a better writer.

With the release of The Force Awakens, today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Star Wars saga. The original trilogy stunned a generation, spawned a gigantic marketing franchise, worked its way into the hearts of millions of people, and the films have become such a part of modern culture that it had generated countless memes, and the language has worked its way into everyday usage; phrases like “use the force”, “the darkside”, “don’t tell me the odds”, and many more have become commonplace. Heck, just say “Luke” a certain way and the chances are pretty good people will get the reference.

Note: This post contains spoilers for the original Star Wars trilogy. If you haven’t seen it then why not?

No other film franchise has ever had the impact of Star Wars. At the time of its original release, the special effects were groundbreaking, there were fresh ideas like lightsabers and Jedi, a great cast and humorous dialogue. At its heart though is a great story: love, loss, redemption, set against the background of a galactic dictatorship. Throw in the concept of Jedi Knights and the sheer awesomeness of lightsabers though, and you have something that, though parodied many times since, was unique and garnered a huge, devoted following.

But just as important as the Jedi and the forces of good are those opposed against them: the Emperor and, of course, Darth Vader. And what would the original trilogy be like without such a striking antagonist as Darth Vader? Almost certainly weaker. From a certain point of view, Vader is the doomed hero of the original trilogy: the only man powerful enough to bring down the Emperor; a man left broken and half-machine; conflicted by the emotional tug-of-war between the Emperor and Luke Skywalker. And, in the scene sitting above my PC, Vader risks everything to offer Luke a chance to join him. Vader is willing to join forces with Luke to end the Empire’s tyranny and bring about a new era of peace and prosperity. And, you know, rule the galaxy together. But he was willing to face off against the Emperor (a man who can shoot lightning from his fingers) to unite his family and rule the galaxy. So, from a certain point of view, Luke Skywalker could even be seen as the villain of the saga.

Star Wars remains a favourite of mine to this day, and to celebrate the release of The Force Awakens I have added a picture above my monitor, one to inspire me to writer better, bigger, and bolder than ever. For those times when I get stuck in a plot, write awful dialogue, or otherwise struggle with my writing I have Darth Vader watching over me, reaching out to offer a helping hand so we might rule the galaxy together, or at least so I can write a better book than the last one. If I need inspiration I need look no further than an inch above my screen where I can be reminded why I love Fantasy and Science Fiction and the worlds they can transport us to.

J.D. Horn’s The Line is the first volume in the Witching Savannah series, urban fantasy centred around Mercy Taylor, a young woman from a family of witches who, in a break from the trope, has no magic of her own. She has a twin sister, one particularly gifted with magic, but Mercy has nothing but her wits.

I’ve found Amazon’s 47 North imprint to be hit and miss; I’ve read some appalling novels that should never have made it to publication, but the odd gem, too. The Line is good, a well-written story that’s nicely paced, has interesting three-dimensional characters and a heroine who, being the black sheep of the family, is no stranger to adversity .

It’s a good series opener, and I’ll be interested to see how the series develops, but the writing is let down in a couple of key areas that, for me, lessened the enjoyability of the book. While Mercy does indeed face several trials during the book, including tests of her character, the author didn’t quite make the most of the tension, of the dilemma Mercy faced. And because the tension wasn’t ratcheted up, I never quite believed that Mercy would make the wrong decision. Frequent references to Savannah heat worked well to begin with, but I found that quickly wore off and became cliched. These two points aside, however, The Line was a good Urban Fantasy novel. Although I felt it was probably geared more towards the Young Adult market, the novel was just as enjoyable for adults, examining the same themes common to both age demographics.

Sebastian de Castell’s Knight’s Shadow is the follow up to Traitor’s Blade, his first novel about Falcio val Mond and the Greatcoats. Traitor’s Blade was an exciting, swashbuckling adventure; well-written with an interesting protagonist, a good dose of humour, and an engaging story. It was so good, that it would be hard to follow.

Knight’s Shadow is something of a chimaera. I found the beginning slow, with a great deal of focus on the protagonist’s deteriorating health. The story seemed stymied, almost as though the author himself was uncertain of his own abilities. The quality of the writing carries the plot enough, though, that I wasn’t inclined to put the book down. And the book is worth sticking with, because it gets progressively better, and once the story opens up the novel begins to feel more epic like its predecessor – more grandiose than a story about one man’s failing health.

By the novel’s end, the story has built to a symphonic crescendo, something to rival its predecessor. By the end I was once again hooked on the tale of Falcio and the Greatcoats, and hungry for the next installment in the adventure, and that’s the mark of a great writer.